Carpet-washing machine.



June 11, 1918. H. F. GRAY I CARPET WASHING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VII/49111115752 v "V June 11, 1918.

' H. F. GRAY CARPET WASHING MACHINE INVEN TOR. ray

E TEs PATENT oniucn.

HALLA n. GRAY, or nENvEncoLonAno.

CARPET-WASHING MACHINE.

Patented Jn efi, 191s.

- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Continuation in tail: of application serial m5. 145,351, filed ne so, 1917. Thisfiapplication.filed-June25,

1911. Seria1iqo. 176,670. v

ToaZZ whom it may concern: i I Be it known that I, HALLA F. GRAY, a

citizen of the United States, residin at the to the accompanying city and ,county'of Denver and tate of Colorado, have invented certain new and; useful Improvements in Car et-Washing' Machines; and I do declare t to bea full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention, skilled in the make and use the same,- reference being'had drawings, and to the characters of reference which form a part of this specification, My invention relates tomachinesffor washing carpets, rugs, etc.,

while they are on the floor, either fastened or loose according to the condition in which they are found. In other words, where'my machine isemployed there is no necessity for removing the carpets-or rugs from their natural or normal position. I

This application is for the most part a continuance of my previous application for carpet washer and rinsing machine patented Sept. 18, 1917,

plication is substantially disclosed" in said prior -ap'plication. The feature to which this application will be directed consists of the scrubbing mechanism, the specific scrubber illustrated consistin of a brush of the application, though I have illustrated. on a comparatively small scale a complete machine of the construction with which Iprefer to employ the mechanism to whichthis application is particularly directed,- said machine includ1 gthe scrubber, a'suction nozzle and the located-in the rear .of the. brush and arrangedto act simultaneously 'for thepurpose of removing the dirty, soapy liquid from the nap or pile of the carpet or rug subject matter e followin such as will, enable others art to which it appertains to marked th'ereon,

generally speaking the check-valve for controlling the section taken on-the line 33 Fi 1.

#1,240,799, since the construction which will be claimed in this ap-.

controlling the f the brush -constitute the subject matter set forth in this .of liquid to the fountain brush.

-view looking in the direction of the arrow 8,

squeegee cooperating with thenozzle, the nozzle and the squeegee being O which support what I-w1ll is-journaled in a after the scrubbing'function has been pertogether with a nap-comber, constitute the of my aforesaid previous patent.'i

Having briefly outlined my improvement I will proceed to describe the samein detail reference being made to the accompanylng drawing, in which is illustrated an. em-

bodiment thereof. In this drawing:

,Figure 1 isa side elevation partly in section,- showing my equipped with the scrubbing mechanism, to which this application is directed.

line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking downwardly.

Fig. 3 is a detail viewon' a larger scale illustrating a part of the connection between a manually operated lever on the handle and of the soapy-liquid to the brush. T isis a Fig. 4. is afragmentary elevation of the improved machine x Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectiontaken on the assage formed by the-brush; These three features p per part of the handle, being a view look- I inthe direction of the arrow 4', Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the casing,

illustrating the brush, and, the jointed arm construction through the medium oflwhich the gyratory movement is imparted, all of the other mechanism of the casing moved to facilitate clearness of'i ustration.

Fig. 6 is a frontview of the brush and its connections shown partly in section and on a larger scale than in the other views.

' N the brush re F1g. 7 is a top plan view of moved from its holder. p 4 Fig. 8 is a detail view partly'in shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1 illusoperati-ng lever mounted .onlthe handle, and

the check valve which controls the passage Fig. 6.

The s amereference charactersindicatethg same-parts allythe views. it p o Let; the numeral 5 designate ar casing which is mounted on a pair of wheels 6,

being re-v section,

trating a part of the connection between the I a roller 'squee ee 7, w ch .100 1 termthe-rear t t I ed by means of a pair of conduits 9 with a" suction producing device 10 consisting of a centrifugal pump whose upper portion communicates by means of an elbow-shaped the soapy liquid 17 which is delivered to the brush through the medium of a depending open-ended pipe '18, which passes through the top of the holder 19 of'a brush 20,

which is removably mountedin the holder and whose top is perforated, as shown at 21,

to allow the liquid from the tank to pass into the bristle portion 22 of the brush,

'from which it is delivered to the nap or pile surface of the carpet or rug 14.

The pipe 18 is equipped nearest the 1118* charge extremity with a check valve 23,

which is normally closed, the valve, how-" ever,- being provided with an exteriorly pro-- .ftruding stem 24 adaptedto'be acted onby an arm 25 of alever- 26*, which is fulcrumed at 27 and whose opposite arm 28 is connected with one extremity of a 'rod or wire 29, which passes through 'a flexible conduit 30, preferably composed of a closely wound coil of wire, the opposite extremity of the rod being connected, as shown at 31 with I a manually operated. lever 32, which is fulcrumed on the handle of the machine, as shown at 33. 'The' inner or forward extremity of the rod 29 acts upon the lever 26, to move the latter to the dotted line position (see Fig. 8), when the lever 32 is actuated struction.

to move the rod 29 rearwardly or Foward the handle extremity of the machine. This movement of the lever 26 acts upon the stem 24 of the check valve 23, to open the said i valve and allow-the liquid to pass in suitable quantities tothe fountain brush con- 34 is located at the forward extremity of the rod and is mounted on a cylindrical casing 36, one of its extremities bearing on a stop 37 made fast to the rod, while the other extremity engages a stop 38 fast in the" caslng 36, the last-named stop bein perfo-' rated to allow the rod to pass free y. The

i spring 35 is located at the handle extremity of the machine, and its inner extremity engages a stop disk 39 fast on the rod 29 and freely movable in a cylindrical casing member 40, while the opposite extremity of the spring 35 bears against a cylindrical part-41', constituting the central portion of the handle 42." The two springs 34 and 35 are normally under tension to actuate the rod 29 to Thelever 26, however, is nor- 'mally held in the inactive position, or that shown by full lines in Fig. 8, by the action of two spiral springs 34 and 35. The spring I maintain the lever 25 in the inactive position. However, when the machine is in use the operator in grasping thehandle 42 actuates the lever 32 to operate the rod tohold the check-valve 23 in the Open position through the medium of theconstruetion just explalned.

The brush, which is shown on a'relatively large scale in Figs. 6 and 7, consists of a head-plate 43 carrying the bristles22, which are set into the head-plate in any suitable or well-known manner. The head-plate of this brush engages grooves 44 formed in the opposite side walls of the brush holder 19, the i Said holder being closedat one end, as shown at 45, while the brush at the opposite end of member 46, which closesthe holder atthis the holder is provided with an uprightend" end, and is engaged by a depending lip 47 i of a retaining spring 48, the latter being seof the brush-holder, as

cured to the top shown at 49. The top of the brush holder is provided with an opening 50 which is elliptical in shape, being elongatedin the direction transverse of the machinewhen the latt'er is in use. This opening is neces- -sary,in order to make room for the lower extremity of the depending' pipe 18, which 7 is stationary and passes through the opening 50 in order to properly discharge the soapy l1qu1d into the chamber 51 of I the brush holder. This. lower extremity of the pipe 18 terminates a short distance above the central portion of. a distributer 52 secured to the top of the brush by means of screws 53, or other suitable fastening devices. This forated head-plate of the brush, and its central portion 54 is highest while the distributer is'slightly inclined downwardly toward, the opposite extremities of the brush in order to facilitate the perfect distribution of the soapy liquid. As shown in the draw- .distributer'is raised slightly above the per- Y ing, the central part of the distributer is divided into' a number of compartments by means oftwo ribs 55, and two pairs of ribs 56, said last-named pairs being arranged on opposite sidesof the ribs 55. The distributer is provided with two outer walls 57 and 58 and two inner walls'59 and 60, the inner walls being continuous with the ribs 56 and forming with the Walls 57 and 58, channels '59 and 60, which extend outwardly in bothdirectlons from the central portion of the dlstributer, said channels being respectively provided with outlets 61 and 62, whereby the llquid is allowed to pass directly to the perforated head-plate 43,and thence through the perforations 21 of the head-plate, to the bristle portion 22 of the brush. It will be understood thatthe channel portion of the distributor, as well as the central. portion thereof, is closed at the bottomsothat the only outlets for the channels are at the open ends 61 and 62. However, the central portion of the distributer is provided with two tion of'the distributer being open at the bottom, since the closed bottoms of the conipartm'ents 64 terminate a short distance from these compartments, as shown at 65. By virtue of the fact that the distributer is supported a short distance from the head- .plate of the brush, it will be understood that the soapy liquid is free to pass underneath the closed bottom portions of the distributer,

and thence through the perforations in the head plate of the brush, said perforations being well distributed throughout the ent1re area of this head-plate. I

Hence, it will be understood that the head-plate 43, together with the bristle porthe machine,

:ber being closed to prevent the escape of the soapy liquid,

Wardly from a sleeve tion 22, the distributer 54 and the brush constitute the fountain scrubber feature of the chamber51 of the scrubexcept through the tions 21 of the-head-plate 43.

The top 66 of the holder is provided at suitable points, beyond the extremities of the opening 50, with upwardly projecting stems 67 which pass through sleeves 68 formed at the oppositeextremities of the two-curved arms 69. which extend outwardly andfor- 7 O to which is rigidly secured a rearwardly extendin member 71-, whose rear extremity is-pivotafiyconnected,

perforaas shown at 72, with one extremity of a link 73, the opposite extremity of the link 7 3' beingplvotally connected, as shown at 74, with a pin extending upwardly from the bottom plate 7 5 of imparted to the brush through the medium of-a worm gear 76, the .worm portion 95 of Which is mounted onthe armature'shaft 77 of a motor'78, which, as illustrated in the drawing, is operated by electricity through the medium of suitable conductors 79' and 80, the latter being so arranged as to be connected with a suitable source of electricity, the current being controlled by means of a switch 8Lmounted onthe handle member of t e structure, As shown in the drawing,

' the worm and worm wheel are both inclosed three arms 69 and in a-casting82 which may be filled with a suitable lubrlcant', The worm wheel vis pro- .vided with a wrist pin 83 which passes through the sleeve 70 at the junction of the 71, wherebyas the worm wheelrotates, a sort of gyratory movement is imparted tojthe brush through the medium of the jointed structure composed of parts 71 and 73, these p *tively'similan-to the portions of the arm forward and in the rear joint. at 72 being similar to the elbow joint the casing. The movement isarts being respecnozzle and squeegee acton of the'elbow, the

of the human arm while the joint 74 is:

similar to the shoulder joint. By virtue of this construction a gyratory movement of the precise character required in. washing carpets, is obtained, since the movement of the brush is relatively slight, thus relieving the carpet from any substantial wear due to the scrubbing action, said movement at thesame time being suflicient toperform the required function of loosening the dirt in the nap or pile of the carpet and thoroughly ;mixing it with the soap'yliquid, which as stems .67 below the sleeves 68, thus allowing the brush or fountain scrubber the neces-' sary vertical vibration during the (carpet cleaning operation. The upper extremities of ,the stems 67 extend above the sleeve 68 -Attenand are perforated, as shown at 85, to re ceive cotter pins or other suitable fastening devices, which will properly limit the upward movement of the sleeves 68.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved fountain scrubber mechanism in connection with the machine with which it is well equipped for use, will "be readily understood.

Assuming that the structure is assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, and that the tank 16 contains the necessary quantity of soapy liquid 17, the operator will grasp the handle 42, and as hedoes so will operate the lever 32, to open the check valve 23, which controls the passage of liquid frQm the receptacle 17 to the fountain brush, and as soon as this is done, chamber 51 of the brush-holder, thence into the distributer and thence through the perforations 21 of the head-plate of the brush, to the bristles 22 thereof. At the same time the operator will turn on the electric current slight in any direction, but still, as hereto this liquid will pass into the movement of. the brush is comparatively fore indicated, is of such, character as to thoroughly loosen the dirt in the nap or pile Q of the carpet andincorporate it in a sort oflather which the movement of the brush in a connection with the soapy liquid produces. As the machine is moved along in the direction of the arrow A- (see Fig. 1 the I the .dirty soapy liquid, first to bring this liquid or lather out of thenap or' pileand then to carry the same by virtue of the infiueiice of the eentrifugal'pump, from the carpet or rug and discharge it into the tank or receptacle l3. Having thus described my invention, What Iclainiis:

1. A machine of the class described, in-

eluding a, frame, a; scrubber, a yoke. c011 for imparting body travel to the scrubber in a circular path. f

a third aim rigidly connected with the first 3i A maehine of the class described, com-J prising a, frame and e sombberymovahly connected therewith and comprising a hQl-g V I low holder and a brush carried thereby hav- ;ing a headopen forthe assage def 1iquid,-

means for imparting orbiteIti'aVeI to the brush, and afoonduitin fixed relation te the frame and projecting into the hollow holder v i which is open-alt the toptoipreve t inter 2. A machine of the class described, eluding a frame, a; scrubber,- a, yoke having 3 5 tw0 arms connected with the scrubber and ferenee withltheeolidiiit driI1 g1th em0ve-* i me'nt'of the brush. i j y i In testimony Whe'reoi Iafiixmy signature;

- namedlaimeelinkeonnected withthe third 1 

